The Journey's Destination (1)
The lingering darkness of the long night was gradually devoured by a deep indigo blue. Following the tempestuous storm of the previous evening, Baroness Raden's estate stretched awake unusually early in the morning.
The sun was fully up and the diligent birds had taken to the sky by the time we returned to the master bedroom. Serin took one look at the ransacked room and lightly covered her mouth. The sheer spectacle wrought by a woman's deep-seated vengeance seemed to startle her considerably.
Naturally, one's eyes could not help but be drawn to Lude. He was broken so thoroughly that his original appearance was entirely beyond recognition. The brown hair that had once evoked a wheat field in autumn was dyed a dark, congealed crimson, and the legs that had carried him so arrogantly were shattered past recovery. Shifting one's gaze just slightly higher revealed a groin pulverized into sheer ruin.
Lude lay unconscious, incapable of even groaning. On the edge of the bed before him, the Baroness sat barely upright, clinging to her balance as if she might collapse at any moment.
"To the two of you..."
The Baroness drew a ragged breath. She seemed to lack even the physical strength to move her lips.
"I have shown you... such an unsightly scene. I do not know how to thank you, nor how I could ever apologize..."
Serin and I both hesitated to speak. Having no particular opinion on the matter, I merely observed the situation quietly, while Serin appeared to be carefully selecting her words so as not to wound the Baroness further.
"There is no need for an apology. I am not cold-blooded enough to demand something like that under these circumstances."
"Ah..."
A soft sigh escaped the Baroness's lips. As she gazed at Serin, the emotion welling in her eyes bordered on profound moved reverence. Next, she turned her gaze toward me.
"And what of you, sir? I wish to repay you for saving my life. And... for helping me see my revenge through."
Though her entire being was steeped in exhaustion, whenever her eyes drifted toward Lude, an ember ignited deep within her pupils. The old adage that there was no price too great when a woman harbored a grudge proved to be an absolute truth.
Rather than speaking immediately, I stepped forward at a measured pace. The Baroness drew back slightly at my inscrutable advance, while Serin watched me with a suspicious squint.
"I have no need of an apology either, but there is one favor I would like to ask."
"Ah, yes. Please, tell me."
When she readily agreed, I leaned down and whispered softly into her ear.
"Please always remain on the Imperial Princess's side. No matter what she does."
"Pardon...?"
"That is all I ask."
With the Baroness's backing, Serin would at least be able to hold her head high as an imperial princess. Even if we parted ways now, this would lighten the debt lingering on my conscience. When I quietly stepped back and met her eyes, the Baroness nodded repeatedly, offering a solemn vow.
"I swear I shall do so. If you will permit it, I will dedicate my boundless efforts for as long as my strength lasts."
Having made her declaration aloud, she then silently mouthed words to me without making a sound.
'Are you keeping this a secret from Her Highness?'
'Yes.'
She nodded to indicate her understanding. I offered a satisfied, silent bow in return, thereby sealing our pact.
"What was that? Why are you two sharing secrets? Tell me too!"
"I cannot."
"Come on, not even a hint?"
"Well. To borrow your own phrasing, Serin... it is simply something wonderful, though there is no way to put it into words."
"Are you insane?"
"G-Goodness, your dignity...! Mmph."
The Baroness clamped both hands over her mouth in a panic. Caught between the two of us, she was suffering needlessly. And so, amid this cheap, absurd farce, the manor greeted the pouring morning sun while guarding our pointless little secret.
Now that daylight had fully broken, it was time for our departure. The rest was for the Baroness to bear on her own. As we prepared to throw open the front doors of the main estate, she saw us off until the very last moment. Then, as the doors swung wide, she leveled an unwavering gaze upon us.
"Foolish woman though I may be for having been deceived by a wicked man, I know well that there is no asset more valuable than trust. Even if others insult me for it, my true identity is that of a merchant. Because of that, I have never once broken a promised word. I simply... wanted you both to know that before you left. Truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart."
A single night had passed, yet she seemed an entirely different person.
Perhaps it was merely my imagination.
To the Baroness, who bowed low once more in warm farewell, I delivered a single notice of intent.
"I will send someone to you before long."
"Excuse me...?"
I answered her confusion with a silent nod. Her question would not be fully resolved until a fortnight had passed. Still, for someone who had pledged to become Serin's pillar of strength, giving her a modest gift seemed appropriate enough.
Inwardly, I hoped she would never be betrayed again.
We shared a long conversation along the road.
We discussed how the incident at the Baroness's estate would be handled, what sort of curtain call awaited Lude, and whether the little moments during our nights camping under the open sky had been rather amusing. No matter how much we spoke, there never seemed to be enough time to revisit our brief memories.
Serin's mouth moved incessantly, like a runaway carriage that knew no brakes. Meanwhile, her sharp gaze seized every opportunity to shoot displeased glares at my mask, leaving me unable to lower my guard for even an instant. When people spoke of their hearts pounding, they surely meant an experience like this.
A full day passed in trivial chatter, and after spending another half-day on the road, our boots finally touched the cobblestones of the capital.
'So this is my hometown...'
It was my first return since fleeing at the age of five. Unfamiliar with the fluttering sensation welling in my chest, my hands curled into tight fists of their own accord. A sudden curiosity stirred within me regarding the state of the slums where I had been born and raised.
"We finally made it, didn't we?"
"I am glad you have returned safely and on time."
The hour of our parting had arrived with ruthless speed. My duty would be complete once I escorted her to the perimeter of the Imperial Palace. Her home lay at a distance that would take less than three or four hours even at a brisk pace.
"Hey, Rian."
"I am listening."
"Can I ask you for just one last favor?"
"Of course."
"Well, then..."
Hesitating for a brief second, Serin opened her eyes wide and leaned in, cornering me with an excessively dazzling gaze.
"Go on a date with me just until this evening!"
"A... date, you say?"
Even someone like me understood what the word 'date' meant. A shared outing where a man and a woman who harbor mutual affection engage in various activities together to cultivate their bond. That was the dictionary definition of a date as I knew it.
As I hesitated, stalling for an answer, Serin pouted her lips and chimed in.
"Oh, come on, don't let the word freak you out! It's really nothing crazy. Let's just hang out together. Think of it as shaking off all the exhausting trouble you went through on my behalf."
Only then did my tension ease, and I let out a quiet breath of relief.
"If that is all, then gladly."
"Thank you, Rian! Thanks to you, the very concept of today has become a lifelong achievement for me."
Serin's bizarre remarks occasionally demanded a level of comprehension that far exceeded my abilities. Though I failed to understand her in the slightest, I gave an unconditional nod of agreement anyway. Experience had taught me that doing so was the quickest way to satisfy her.
"Oh, right. Rian?"
"Yes, Serin."
"After making it all the way here, wouldn't it be terribly unfair if I got lost, let my guard down, and ended up getting kidnapped?"
"I agree."
"So with that in mind... let's cooperate a little, shall we?"
A wicked... yes, an intention that could only be described as wicked curled along Serin's crooked smile. It was only natural for my vigilance to bristle sharply.
"When you say cooperate..."
"Oh, nothing big. Let's hold hands while we walk. That seems like the safest bet."
"Indeed. That makes sense."
It would be utterly shameful if we ruined everything at the very final hurdle. It was best to quietly comply with her request here.
"Here you go."
Serin extended her hand in a posture not unlike someone training a dog. I quietly took hold of it. Her hand was extraordinarily soft, and a gentle, radiating warmth seeped through her slender fingers.
'Still... isn't her palm sweating excessively?'
I resolved that I should advise her to see an imperial physician before we parted ways. With that thought firmly in mind, we stepped out onto the bustling streets.
Holy crap, this is insane.
He actually agreed to this! Our male lead! If you're going to be this pure and compliant, how on earth am I supposed to let you go? His hands are so large, yet there isn't a single rough callus on them, so the sensation transfers directly against my skin.
The air tastes delicious... my heart is aggressively threatening to unionize... a literal waterfall is pouring from my palms...
If I coax him just a little more, I bet he'd even let me link arms with him. To think I have to butter up this innocent man within the span of just a few hours. Guilt and anticipation twirled together like a yin-yang symbol, forming an exquisite harmony in my chest.
The original female lead was an absolute master of gaslighting, though...
I tilted my head back to look at Rian. Right on cue, he turned his masked face down toward me. When I flashed him a beaming grin, the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly. Even behind the mask, it was transparently obvious that he was smiling back in response.
Ah, damn it all. I can't bring myself to gaslight him. How could anyone utter a single cruel word to their ultimate bias when he's smiling down at them like that?
Well, sure, in his current state, I could probably point at a tree, call it a deer, and completely rewrite his worldview... but that's simply beyond me.
"Haaah, what am I going to do with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Who knows? I'm currently debating when to rip that mask off your face, so you'd better watch out. Even I don't know when I might turn into a wild beast."
So keep your guard up, my precious baby kitten.
"I appreciate the advice... however, ever since you came crashing through the window at the Baroness's estate, Serin, I have not lowered my guard for a single second."
"Wait, what?! Why are you holding a grudge for so long?! You're totally not the type to do that!"
"It was you who made me this way, Serin."
Good grief, look here, Mr. Ultimate Bias. Please don't say that like I've been gaslighting you this whole time. I'm barely holding myself back as it is!
No, wait, with phrasing like that, it really makes it sound like I've successfully tamed the Child of the Deposed Emperor.
All I want is something modest. Really.
Just for our male lead to look only at me.
For him to be unable to live a single day without me.
And for him to never spare a single glance at the original heroine.
I would be perfectly content with just that, you know?
Taming him is crossing the line!
There is no such thing as gaslit pure love in this world. I will protect my bias with my own two hands.
"Since you're already in the habit, let me make you promise one more thing."
Our sweet, kind male lead, Rian—alias and all.
Shall we coax just one little sentence out of that mouth of yours?
"Rian, have you ever held hands and gone on a date before?"
"I have not."
"Then this is your very first date, right?"
"That is correct."
It's my first date too. I spent my past life grinding away at Korean, English, math, and physical education college entrance exams before coming here just to meet you.
"They say you never forget your first date for the rest of your life. I know I certainly won't. What about you, Rian?"
"I..."
"Wow, but if you forgot it right away, I'd be so heartbroken. I'd probably soak my bedsheets with tears every night until people mistook it for bedwetting."
"..."
"So don't feel pressured, just tell me. You know I always respect you, right?"
Perhaps he was deeply moved by my remarkably considerate conversational skills, because Rian squeezed my hand tight before finally parting his lips.
"...I will... not forget."
"For the rest of your life?"
"I will do so."
"Then does that mean you'll think of me every single day?"
"I..."
"*Sniff*... Oh, the sorrow... my tears are already starting to fall..."
"I will—I will do so."
Oh dear, for Rian, that was quite a valiant effort, but wasn't it lacking just a little? If you omit the subject and the object, even the truth can end up sounding like a lie.
"If you aren't specific, I won't understand."
Nope, nope, I don't understand at all.
As I pretended to lightly rub my dry eyes, Rian dropped his head toward the ground and delivered the correct answer in a trembling voice.
"......I will think of Serin every single day."
"Woooow."
What should I do? An exclamation slipped out instead of an answer. As of today... my heart is officially banned from joining any labor union.
"You did so wonderfully."
Letting my genuine joy burst forth completely unfiltered, I threw myself forward and linked my arm aggressively through Rian's.
Everything... was proceeding strictly according to plan.
"Hehehe..."